Plate holding means for printing presses



Dec. 25, 1934. J HORTON 1,985,628

PLATE HOLDING MEANS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed July 9, 1951 2Sheets-Sheet 1 h, mvzu'roa. l I r ZZZ/14w .m,

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A. J. HORTON PLATE HOLDING MEANS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Dec. 25, 1934.

Filed July 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w him um .wf/ll/ll/AE. I

VINVEIN'I'OR.

Patented Dec. 25, 1934 PATENT OFFICE PLATE HOLDING MEANS FOR PRINTINGPRESS Albert J. Horton, White Plains, N. Y., assignor to R. Hoe & 00.,Inc., New York, N. Y., .a corporation of New York; temporary trusteeIrving Trust Company,

Application July 9, 1931,'Serial No. 549,775

15 Claim.

This invention relates to printing machinery, and particularly to meansfor the attachment of stereotype plates to form cylinders .of themachine.

The method now commonly employed of securing printing plates to rolls orcylinders involves clamp members at the end of the cylinder to engageand firmly hold the edges of the curved plate tightly upon the cylinder.In press'operation the tendency is toward higher speeds, and the pointis rapidly being reached where centrifugal force acting upon the platesmakes it dangerous to rely entirely upon clamps which engage theends ofthe plates. Itis the primary object of the present invention to providemeans of a simple and improved name, to provide holding means of suchcharacter as to insure proper holding of the arcuate plates upon therolls notwithstanding great speeds of the cylinders.

A further object of the invention is to provide holding means of suchcharacter as to involve.

but little change in the present type of cylinder and printing platewhereby the invention may be put into practical use without materiallyvarying the construction of such parts of the press.

with these objects in view, together with others which will appear asthe description proceeds, the invention consists in the novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will bedescribed more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is an end elevation, parts broken away, of a press cylinderembodying the invention and showing a conventional form of printingplate ap plied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the cylinder as shown in Fig.1, V

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon line 3of Fig. 2; the view showing the parts in the position they will assumewhen the holding means is in operation,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and disclosing the parts in theposition they will assume when the holding means is moved to platereleasing position,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 5 of Fig. 2 andillustrating the end clamp operating means, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view disclosing thespecific construction of the plate lugs.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 7 indicates aconventional form of printing press roll or cylinder mounted uponits.'supporting shaft 8. The plate from which the printing is done isindicated at 9, and is curved in the usual manner to conform to thecircumference of the cylinder and may be of substantially the samelength as the latter.

This cylinder is provided in its periphery with a longitudinallydisposed channel indicated at 10 and within which isdisposed a screwmember 11, as is usual, for the operation of the clamps 12 employed insecuring the ends of the plate to the cylinder. Thisscrew member isproperly mounted in a fixture or bracket 13 at the end of the cylinder,and it may be squared at its end as shown for the application thereto ofa tool for rotating the screw. The clamp member 12 is of arcuateformation conforming to the contour of the cylinder and engages themajor portion of the adjacent plate edge in order to firmly hold theplate in position. The operative faces of the clamp and plate areprovided with mating bevel surfaces as shown to secure the plate firmlyin position.

The cylinder 7 is provided with additional longitudinally disposedchannels or recesses 14 arranged preferably equi-distant upon each sideof the channel 10, which recesses 14 communicate with the peripheralface of the cylinder. Within each of the channels 14 there is disposedlongitudinally thereof a rod 15 rigidly secured at its outer end to theclamp 12, so that the said rods will move longitudinally within theirrecesses as the clamp 12 is moved. 1

Each rod is equipped with means for engaging the plate 9 inwardly fromthe ends thereof, in order to provide additional holding means for thesaid plate. In the present instance this means comprises pins 16 havingtapered ends 17 for engagement in recesses provided in lugs 18 formedupon the inner face of plate 9 and extending into the recesses 14. Thepins 16 are slidably mounted within blocks or travelers 19 secured uponthe rod 15, and springs 20 are arranged within recesses in the blocks 19to normally hold the pins 16 in projected position.

From this construction it is apparent that upon operating the screwmember 11 the arcuate clamp members 12 will be caused to travel, thedirection of travel being determined by the direction of rotation of thescrew. When operating the screw member to bring the clamp intoengagement with the edge of plate 9, the clamp members will travelinwardly, at the same time causing the rods 15 to similarly move. Thetravelers 19 will move toward the lugs 18, whereupon the tapered ends 17of the pins 16 will enter and center themselves within the openings inlugs 18. To facilitate proper aligning and centering, the openings inlugs 18 may be tapered substantially corresponding to the taper'of thepins 16.

When full clamping action is had between clamp 12 and bevel edge ofplate 9, the pins 16 will have been moved to their inward limit,whereupon the beveled faces as shown for engagement with the inner edgesof the printing plate 9. In instances where two or more plates arearranged in longitudinal series upon the roll or cylinder, the block 21is provided with double bevel faces to engage edges of adjacent printingplates, while rods 15 will be extended throughout the length of thecylinder andprovided with travelers and. locking pins to engage inclamping action with the ape'rtured lugs of the next adjacent plate orplates.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided means ofextremely simple nature for additionally securing the printing plates tothe cylinder, yet the construction is such as to insure a proper andrigid holding of-the plate to the cylinder nothwithstanding highrotational speed of the printing roll. The parts of the improved deviceare so constructed and operated in such manner as to insure positiveaction and also to minimize the opportunity for wear, breakage andderangement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a printing press, a type roll having a recess in its periphery, aplate, lugs on said plate projecting into said recess, a clamp member toengage an edge of said plate, means {or moving said clamp, and pins insaid recess movable by said clamp to engage with said lugs.

2. In a printing press, a type roll having a recess in its periphery, aplate torest upon'said roll, a traveler in said recess, interengaginglocking means on said traveler and said plate, a clamp member on saidroll to engage an edge of said plate, means for moving said clamp, and aconnnection between said clamp and said locking means.

3. In a printing press, a typeroll having a recess in its periphery, aplate to rest upon said roll, clamp members on said roll to engage theedges of said plate, interengaging locking mem bers disposed in saidrecess intermediate the ends of the plate, and means for simultaneouslyoperating said clamp and locking members.

4. Ina printing press, a type roll, a plate to rest upon said roll,clamp members on said roll to engage the ends of said plate, cooperatinglooking members carried by said plate and roll between the ends of thelatter, and means for operating said clamp and locking memberssimultaneously.

5. In a printing press, a type roll, a plate to rest upon said roll,clamp members on said roll to engage the ends of said plate, cooperatinglocking members carried by said plate and roll inwardly from the endsthereof, a screw member disposed longitudinally of said roll andoperable lug on said plate disposed in said recess, a rod movablelongitudinally of said roll in said recess, and a pin carried by saidrod and movable relative thereto-for locking engagement with said lug.

7. In a printing press, a roll having a recess in its periphery, a plateto rest upon said roll, a lug on said plate disposed in said recess, atraveler in said recess, a pin slidable in said traveler and adapted tocooperate with said lug in locking engagement, '9. spring normallymaintaining saidpin in locked position, and a rod movable longitudinallyin said roll and operatively connected with said traveler.

8. In a printing press, a roll having a recess disposed longitudinallyin its periphery, a plate to rest upon said'roll, apertured lugs on saidplate projecting into said recess, clamp members'on said roll to engagewith the ends of said plate, travelers in said recess, a pin slidable ineach traveler, a spring on I each traveler normally holding its pinprojected, a screw rod in said roll to operate said clamp members, and aconnec-' tion between said clamp members and said travelers.

9. In a printing press, a roll, a plate to rest upon said roll, a clampmember at an end of said roll, means for moving said clamp memberaxially of said roll, travelers in said roll movable axially thereof,cooperating locking members on said travelers and plate; and aconnection between said clamp member and said travelers.

10. In a printing press,a roll having longitudinal recesses in itsperiphery, a plate to rest upon said roll, lugs on said plate disposedin said recesses, a clamp member on said roll to engage the end of saidplate, a rod in each of said recesses and connected to said clamp memberand means secured to sa d rods for interlocking engagement with saidlugs when the clamp is moved in one direction.

11. In a printing press, a roll, a plate for engagement with said roll,elements on said roll and plate to engage with each other to lock'theplate to the roll, a clamp member on the roll to engage the plate, andmeans operable upon movement of the said-clamp member in one directionto engage said elements.

12. In a printing press, a roll having a recess in its periphery, aplate to rest upon said roll, a lug on said plate disposed in saidrecess, a rod movable longitudinally in said recess, a pin movable insaid recess disposed substantially parallel with said rod and adapted toengage with said lug, and a connection between said rod and said pin.

13. In a printing press, a roll, a plate for engagement therewith, a lugon said plate, a traveler in said roll, a pin slidably carried by saidtraveler and adapted to engage with said lug,'a spring forcing said pintoward said lug, and means for moving said traveler.

- 14. In a printing press, a roll, a printing plate for engagement withsaid roll,'said plate having a recess, a pin yieldably carried by saidroll and adapted to move into or out of said recess, and means formoving said pin.

15. In a printing press, a roll, a printing plate for engagement withsaid roll, a traveler carried by said roll, said plate being providedwith a recess, a pin slidably carried by said traveler and adapted tomove into or out of said recess upon movement of said traveler, andmeans for moving said traveler.

' ALBERT J. HORTON.

